Scaffold



Aug. 6, 1940.

v. oRsEN| Go SCAFFOLD4 Filed Deo, 31, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m 2v uml f. lili-9M" W fr@ m V. oRsENlGo Aug. 6, 1940.

cu-FOLD Filed Dec. 31, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Y Patented ug. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES lwrlzla'rl oF-Flcl:

2,210,465 scArFoLn vittorio omnigo, Milan, muy.

Application December 31, 1937, Serial No. 182,880 In Italy January 20, 1937 4 claims. (ol. v:m4-fio) Besides, it is often required to build suspended scaifolding on the building f acadesabove the ground by anchoring Athe scaifolding to said facade.

Therefore, wooden scaffolding having been discarded as obsolete owing to its-many disadvantages.' particularly forlits bulky overall dimensions, the diillculty of transportation oi.' long poles and' standards, the great space required for storage, early deterioration and destruction, the fire hazards and other disadvantages, iron scaffoldings have been more and more in use these last years. The most used are those consisting of sections of iron tubes, connected together with special'couplings utilizing friction contact and secured to the pipes by bolts.

The object of thev present invention is to provide scafioldings formed of drawn or rolled steel bars, having the same tensile strength and length as the tubular sections usually employed in metal scaiolding. The bars are cross-shaped in section and the thickness of the'material is such as to show a resisting moment to axial pressure combined with flexibility and stresses and weight appreciably equal to that of the tubular sections -usually adopted for scaffolding.

The rolled cross shaped elements, in cross-'section, have anl outside surfaceI which is easily reached in any part for protective painting. Be

sides they are not so thin as to be easily eaten up by rust. Their cross-section is uniform and regular in all points and therefore themechanical resistance to the scaifolds stresses is abso- A.

Besides the free surlutely uniform and safe. face exposed to the action of the. air or to noxious atmospheric agents. is muchr smaller (about onehalf that of tubular sections), equal resistance being'adniitted. f The rolling of such bars is apparently much cheaper 'than the rolling of tubes, therefore the 0 scaffold of this' mnd win cost less than with tubular units. J The adoption of such rods for erecting scaffolds and other'metal frames, which are easy 55 to disassemble, is rendered possible and convenshown in section.

ient by means of special couplings for connecting the iron elements.

The coupling can be of the universal pattern, A or, according to an alternative embodiment of lthe invention, it can be made with metal plates, 5

and diifers from the usual and known sleeve cou-' plings, which arey expensive and cumbersome, as' the former are essentially formed by a number of metal plates, all alike, of a simple shape and easily connected to each other by means of l0 screws and bolts. This obtains cheaper manufacture and quicker erection.

The coupling has av device preventing any sliding of parts, not only through friction but in a rigid positive way, obtaining a perfect fit of l5 the bars in the coupling, particularly, where coaxial bars are to be jointed; this means consisting` of special bolts forming a key seat.

..Besides, when drop forged or cast iron plates are used, these can have any convenient shape. 20

The invention is shown in one of its preferred forms and in some alternative forms in the at-l tached drawings, where:

Fig. 1 shows in side view a part of the standards with the spacing blocks. 1 25 Fig, 2 is a horizontal section ofthe same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of same along line 3--3 of Fig. 2. Y

Fig. 4 shows 'a coupling in front view partly broken away. 30

Fig. 5 shows the same in ltop view, partially sectioned.

Fig. 6 is a section of Fig. 5 along line 3 6.

Fig. 'I is a side view of a first alternative conshown in section. Fig. 8 is a front view of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section through Fig. '7. Fig. 10 is a section of a plate. 4 Fig. 11 shows a side view of a second alter- 4o native form of coupling, one of the bars being shown in section. l

Fig. 12 is a front view of Fig. 11 partly in section.

Fig. 13 is a plan view sectioned of Fig. 11. 45 Fig. 14 shows a coupling bolt for the Aform shown in Fig. 11. ,l

Fig. 15 shows a side view of a third alternative form, of coupling, one of the bars being -struction of the coupling, one of the bars being 35 Fig. 16 is a front view of Fig. l5, and Fig. i7 is a view similar to Fig. 15 showingv the coupling in section.

With reference to Figs. to 6: a is the standard made of an iron-bar wi h a cross-like section; b are the fillers or spacing-blocks in the shape of circular segments, with an outer groove c, which are applied to the standards at the crossing points of the vertical and horizontal bars.

'I'he coupling shown in said iguresis formed of a double sleeve of wrought iron, providing two circular holes d arranged at right angles; in each hole are placed the four wedge-shaped spacingn blocks b of vcast-iron which can freely rotate in the hole without being able to slide out of it, being retained by a projection h corresponding with the groove c.

The wedge or sector shape-of the spacing pieces b leaves a centre space in the shape of a cross into which are placed the iron bars of the scaffold; bolts fg on the coupling serving to tighten the spacing-blocks on the bars.

It is clear that in this way the connection between bars canhave any direction, the crossshaped bars being rotatable within the coupling while the connection is securely established on tightening the bolts, by the complete frictional contact between the right sides of the crosssection of the bar and the corresponding faces of the coupling spacing pieces, thus obtaining a surface of contact of much greater extension than with the usual tube couplings.

With reference to the rst alternative shape of coupling shown in Figs. 7 to 10: 5 and 6 are the profile or rolled bars of the scaifoldfl are the plates forming the coupling, which are V shaped in their centre-line, according to the angle between two wings of the cross-shaped bars, while the ends of the plate extend as flanges and are provided with holes for the bolts 8 which tighten the plates I against the profile bars 5 and 6 and connect the two series of plates, thereby clamping the bars together.

In the second alternative construction of coupling, as shown in Figs. 11 to 14, instead of standard bolts, key shaped bolts I0 are used. Here the plates I are provided with elongated holes I I for receiving the key and preventing the bars fromv sliding ou the coupling, the flanges of the bars having recesses I2 receiving the key shaped bolt portions.

With reference to the construction of the coupling shown in Figs. 15 to 17, the central plate I5 of the coupling may have the shape shown, whereby the inside of the plate is so shaped as to fit at I6 the profile of the bar I 5 against which it has to be tightened, so as to adapt itself perfectly against the same, obtaining an extended surface of friction, giving the coupling a firmness and a strength not yet obtained heretofore.

Besides, the counter-plates I'I and I8 clasp the bar very tight by means of two bolts I9, instead of four, which may be hinged at one end, to ears 20 projecting from the central plate, the opposite ends being inserted in cavities at the extremity of the counter-plates.

The scaffolding formed in thisl manner is therefore a very practical one in the field of metal scaifolds and, it can be efficiently employed also in all such metal structures having a semipermanent character as for` instance: foot bridges, bridges, roofs, tribunes, staircases, barracks, platforms, trestles, scaolds, open work towers, and girders, shelves, etc.

In f act, while for such construction the use of sections of metal scaffolding had been heretofore avoided due to the fact that tubular sections Were of difficult maintenance and lacked durability, itis now possible to adopt with kfull confidence demountable sections in prole bars cross-shaped in section, which, having all the sides of the material exposed to sight can be vconveniently protected with anti-rust varnishes and fcan be inspected periodically for maintenance.

The forms here illustrated are only given as examples, the coupling plates can be of any other shape, square, polygonal, crossed or round, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. A scaffolding comprising'bars substantially cross-shaped in cross section, and couplings for said bars whereby the latter may be connected to each other at any angle, said couplings including parts fitting into at least two of the op# posed angles formed by the cross shape of the bars, and means for drawing and maintaining said parts in engagement with said bars.

2. A scaffolding as claimed in claim l characterized in that said couplings yinclude 4separable members forming an opening for the passage of one of said bars, a wedge-like spacing' said bars, and adjustable connecting'means for i the pairs of members including a key coasting with said bars.

4. A sca'olding as claimed in claim l characterized in that said couplings each include pairs of members, and adjustable connecting means between said pairs of members, the members of each pair being shaped to intert with the angles of the cross shaped bars.

vrr'roRIo oRsENrGo. 

